Prognostic significance of synovial fluid analysis in estimating the efficacy of intra-articular corticosteroid injection in patients with spondylarthropathy.

The predictive value of synovial fluid (SF) analysis and some other variables for the efficacy of intra-articular corticosteroid therapy of knee joints in 20 patients with spondylarthropathy and hydropsy in a knee joint was estimated in a prospective study. The knee joints were initially aspirated and 30 mg triamcinolone hexacetonide injected intra-articularly. The tenderness scores and the circumferences of the knee joints were measured at the start and after the two months follow up period. Between the patients with and without improvement in tenderness scores of the knee joints SF protein (p = 0.021), SF lactate (p = 0.033), SF IgG (p = 0.018) and SF IgM (p = 0.047) differed significantly, all being lower in patients with improved tenderness scores. There were no significant differences in the variables between patients with at least 2 centimetres decrease of knee joint difference and those with less during follow up.